Get to Know Your Prefects: Dimitri N. ’18

Meet Dimitri Nitsopoulos ’18 – a Prefect who truly appreciates his time spent at Ridley and does all he can to make the best of it. Read how he is busy preparing for his future and gaining the skills he needs to succeed.

Why did you choose Ridley? Truth be told, I personally did not make the decision to come to Ridley. It was in fact my sister who chose Ridley and I just came along for the ride. However, I am thankful that I did because I cannot imagine myself anywhere else than Ridley for the conclusion of my high school year. Ridley College is a phenomenal school that has offered me opportunities for academic success and personal growth that I would never have found at my previous schools. I cannot wait to see what more Ridley has to offer in my final year of high school.

Did you feel prepared coming to Ridley? I did feel somewhat prepared coming to Ridley, due to the fact that I knew that I had to make changes to adapt to Ridley’s workload. However, the greatest adjustment that I had to make was the amount of time needed to be spent at Ridley. At Ridley, there are some nights where I stay until 9:00 or 10:00 at night. This is because of sports, activities, dinner and tutorial. Even though this may seem like a long time, I absolutely love staying this late because it gives me the opportunity to hang out with friends and to ask teachers for special help at their tutorials. It may seem daunting constantly being at school but after a while, Ridley College becomes your home and you begin to love every second that you are there.

Who is your favourite faculty member and why? I don’t personally have a favorite teacher at Ridley. I cannot simply pick one teacher as my favourite because each teacher at Ridley does a significant amount to creating the best high school experience as possible for the students of Ridley College. For instance, my math teacher, Mr. Burke is constantly staying later or coming earlier to school so we can ask him questions to help us further our understanding of IB Math. That is just one example of many of what teachers at Ridley do for their students.

What has been your greatest challenge thus far at Ridley? The greatest challenge thus far at Ridley is perhaps the workload. Since we are dealing with eight classes all year long, at times it can be quite difficult because each class can give a great amount of homework, assignments and tests. This is where time management is vital to learn, because without it, you can get into serious trouble. Unfortunately, I am a victim of procrastination. There have been moments where I haven’t used my time wisely and have suffered; staying up until an awful hour, finishing an assignment due the next day. Ridley’s workload is a challenge daily but by working on the skill of time management, it becomes easier.

What has been your greatest accomplishment thus far at Ridley? My greatest accomplishment at Ridley thus far is becoming a Prefect. I am so excited that I have the pleasure of accepting the responsibility of Prefectship. I cannot wait until the beginning of the school year, so the Prefects can lead the student body into a phenomenal year.

What has been your favourite Ridley experience? My favourite Ridley experience has got to be Ridley camp at the beginning of the school year. This is where all the boys of Ridley go up north to a camp. It is so much fun because this is where you have the first real opportunity to meet new friends and to reconnect with old ones. Believe me, I am not at all a camper but even I have fun because you make unforgettable memories up there. From sailing, to zip lining, to competing against other houses for the Bermuda Cup: it is a fantastic start to the beginning of the school year.

What is your favourite part of Ridley life? My favourite part of Ridley life is dinner in the Great Hall. I love this time of day because it is just after sports and right before study. It is the only part of the day where we can relax, eat and hang out with friends. I always find myself laughing and at ease with myself because I’m around all my good friends. It is yet another experience where I make unforgettable memories. I have already made a couple fantastic memories and I know that next year, there will be even more.

What part of being a Prefect are you most excited for? Being Prefect, the part I am most excited for is the ability to lead the students in pep rallies, especially at Snake Dance. I believe that pep rallies are important because it not only showcases school spirit but additionally, allows Ridley College to become more of a community than just a school. That is what I want to show, especially at Snake Dance. This is where Prefects ignite the campfire, which represents the beginning of the school year. I cannot wait to hear the cheers while we run around the campfire celebrating our final year of high school.

How has Ridley prepared you for the future? Ridley has and is still preparing me for the future. For instance, time management. As mentioned before, with Ridley’s workload, it has taught me the value of time management and how to use it. I know that I will need this for the future because life is just one deadline after another and the only way to meet them is to ensure that you time manage. Another key skill that Ridley is continually teaching me is responsibility, which will be especially important next year. Along with maintaining good grades, I will additionally have to write university resumes, go to meetings, join new and existing clubs, etc. This is great preparation for the future because as an adult, you have a huge amount of responsibility and you need to be able to handle it.

What are your plans after graduation? My plans for after graduation is to go straight into university. I am most likely going to study in Canada for my undergrad, but I have not ruled out Europe and the States quite yet. Wherever I go, I would like it to be in a city because I love the atmosphere of big cities. Additionally, I would like to study economics or business since my long-term goal is to become a corporate lawyer.

What advice would you give prospective students about Ridley? The advice that I would give prospective students is to try and to involve yourself in every aspect at Ridley. This includes joining clubs, sports, art, and activities. This is one thing I should’ve done from the start when I began at Ridley in Grade 10. By joining co-curricular activities, you learn so much about who you are and what you’re good at. Additionally, you make unforgettable memories and potentially meet the friends that will stay with you all your life.